A PowerPoint with information on the natural and human causes of climate change. Specifically created for revision for Edexcel AS Geography Unit 1. This is the follow on from Part A (obviously!) and looks at the various causes of climate change, including natural and anthropogenic. Despite being targeted for Edexcel, it is definitely useful for all other exam boards as well as for all qualification tiers (e.g. GCSE, AS/A2)

Slides in this set

Slide 1

Slide 2

The causes of Climate Change may beNatural and Human· Some changes in climate are caused by changes in how the Sun's energy is received, trapped and distributed around the Earth ­ E.g. When more energy is received, the Earth will get hotter ­ When less energy is received, the Earth will get cooler· However, some changes in climate are caused by human activity…read more

Slide 3

Slide 4

1) Variations in the Earth's orbit· The way the Earth moves around the sun affects the way the Earth receives energy from the Sun.· Earth's movement around the sun gradually changes in three ways, which in turn affect global climate· These are often referred to as the `Milankovitch Cycles' and include: Stretch, Tilt and Wobble.…read more

Slide 5

Stretch (Eccentricity)· The path of the Earth's orbit around the Sun changes from an almost perfect circle to an ellipse and back again about every 96,000 years· This changes the distance from the Sun to the Earth, and so the amount of energy the Earth receives from the Sun (at different times of the year)· Earth's orbit is elliptical right now ­ it is closest to the Sun in January and furthest away in July…read more

Slide 6

Tilt (Obliquity)· The Earth is tilted at an angle as it orbits the Sun, called its axis (currently 23.5°)· This changes between about 21.8° and 24.4° over a cycle of about 41,000 years· The change in tilt changes the amount of energy that different latitudes receive, changing global climate· When the tilt is greater (24.4°) areas that receive lots of energy, such as the tropics, will be larger.· Other climate regions, such as the temperate zones beyond the tropics, will be smaller…read more